Saturday, November 3, 2012

Disaster relief for families of kids with special needs

I can't imagine what it's like to be a family that has a child with special needs who's lost their home due to Sandy. If you're a parent of a kid with disability you know full well that even a minor disruption in our lives can be a major inconvenience, not to mention the extra financial burdens we already float.

I hope one of the resources below for families of kids with special needs affected by Sandy helps; if you know of other resources, share. And if you are one of those families, please let us know if there is anything we can do.

• AutismCares provides support for families affected by natural disasters; call the Autism Response Team at 1-888-Autism2 (288-4762), en espanol at 888-772-9050. Or email AutismCares@autismspeaks.org

• FEMA Office of Disability Integration & Coordination coordinates emergency recovery for children and adults with disability. The number listed on the site is the general FEMA number to call for assistance: 800-621-6632. If a family that has a child with special needs in New York or New Jersey is in dire need of help, try Regional Disability Integration Specialist Jim Flemming; james.flemming@fema dhs.gov. The Regional Disability Integration Specialist for Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont is Kate McCarthy Barnett, kate.mccarthybarnett@fema.dhs.gov. The Regional Disability Integration Specialist for Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia is Linda Landers, linda.landers@fema.dhs.gov.

• United Cerebral Palsy (@UCPnational) affiliates are providing assistance to people in their communities. Click to find a local branch here or call 800-872-5827.

• Portlight Strategies provides post-disaster relief to people with disabilities; email ron@portlight.org. (note, the homepage has a good list of disaster planning resources for people with disabilities).

• The National Down Syndrome Society (@NDSS) formed a fund for victims of Katrina; no word on whether they might do the same for Sandy, but call if you need help: 800-821-4602 (Monday-Friday 9 to 5 ET) or email info@nsdss

• Family Voices (@FamilyVoices) works with families who have children with special health care needs. They're working with affiliates in affected states, and could provide guidance; 888-835-5669 or send a message here.

• Do not hesitate to reach out to your house of worship for relief. Here's inspiration from Facebook reader and New Orleans resident Monica Jackson, who went through Katrina: "I remember a church up north got together and collected all the wheelchairs, standers, and other equipment they could find and drove it down in an 18-wheeler to our area. It was a huge help because when we evacuated, we couldn't take all of Dylan's equipment with us, and it was washed away in the hurricane."